Fingering attachment for stringed musical instruments



May 17, 1938. J. J. RICHMAN FINGERING ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed June 6, 1935 D2 3 G 2 Al I. I l I l III Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FINGERING ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement on the Violin, mandolin, and all other similar instruments but it is most adaptable for the mandolin, and the following description is one embodiment of the invention.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts through the several views in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a part of the mandolin with a fingering attachment embodying my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the improved attachment dismounted from the mandolin with the finger board portion broken away, the top plate of said attachment being removed to expose the interior construction.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the under side of the lever bars shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a top plan view of the finger board portion of the improved attachment.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 55 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the casing of the attachment shown in. Figs. 2 and 3.

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views similar to Fig. 6 showing additional adjustment means for the shaft bearing. Fig. '7 shows the interior side 30 and Fig. 8 the exterior side of said adjustment means, and Fig. 9 is a view showing the musical connotation means used in practising the invention whereby the playing of the music on a multistring instrument provided with improved attach- 35 ment means such as shown in Fig. 1 is made easy for even those who do not read conventional music writings.

Referring now to the drawing, in Fig. 2 is shown finger plate lever bars 1 forming a series of six bars, each having a shaft hole inwardly of the rear end la thereof. A spring [2 is attached to the extreme end portion of each bar, the latter having a rounded free end 8 opposite said rear end la. For anchoring the spring l2 to the extreme end of rear end la, a wire hook 28, which may be formed of a bent nail, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, is used. Spring [2 may be of the tension type and extends between hook 228 and a shaft I. Said shaft l extends in parallel 50 spaced relation to the shaft l3 on which the bars 2 are pivotally mounted. As seen from Figs. 1 and 5, the purpose of these bars I is to shorten the musical strings on pressing the free bar ends 8 to contact along various points of the mando- 55 lin strings.

It is plainly seen in Fig. 1 that when the first bar I, numbered 1 is brought in contact with said strings that all the strings on the instrument are shortened to the'same length in one 60 operation. The strings are likewise shortened to another desired length by pressing any one of the other bars 2', numbered 2 to 6, inclusive. Bars '5 may be separated from each other by providing spacing washers therebetween on shaft l3, in the well understood manner, not shown. Shaft l3, as shown in Fig. 6 is journalled at a suitable height in a shaft hole or bearing 2| formed in said wall It).

The operation of the bars I is best seen from Fig. 5. When each bar i is free, spring 12 resiliently holds the bar I in raised position resting against a cushioning or buffer stop 3 which is carried on the under side of top plate I. When a bar 1 is pressed down, a pressure strip l4 contacts the strings evenly over the finger-board. When the pressure is released the bar I springs back into its original raised position. The pressure strip M is preferably made of some soft material, such as felt leather, wood, rubber or some like material. The purpose of using such soft material is that said strip will take the impression of the musical strings and the entire length thereof extending across the finger board 4 is enabled to compensate for the use of strings of different gages. From Fig. 3 it is seen that strips M are not attached to bars I in uniform spaced relation but are located at desired spacings for properly shortening the effective length of the strings for giving successive half-tones of the musical scale. Strip l4 may be attached to bar 1 by gluing or cementing, and to further secure said. strip it against movement or loosening, they may be riveted to bars l.

A casing or frame for the improved attachment may be provided, most of the parts of which may be made of wood, aluminum, brass, pheno-ccn clensate products such as bakelite, hard rubber, or any like material. Said casing or frame when made of aluminum comprises, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, one piece of vsleet metal bent at right. angles to serve as the top and back walls l6 of the casing. As seen from Fig. 5, the portion 4 is a part of said casing which is screwed to the mandolin over the finger board. Said portion 4 is also shown in Fig. and is provided with frets such as are found on a mandolin finger board of a conventional construction.

Referring again to Fig. 5, the front wall I! of the casing and the bottom wall l8 are bent into shape and may be made integral with portion 4. As shown in Fig. 6, the side wall ID of the casing fits into place meeting the top I, the bottom 18 and the portion l. It is to be understood that the casing may be constructed to be attached to a regular mandolin of conventional construction Without removing the mandolins finger board or frets. In such case it is only necessary to omit portion 4 and the attachment may then be secured into place through suitable screws extending through front wall ll and bottom wall [8 in the well understood manner. A clamp instead of screws may also be provided to engage the walls il and iii in the above described construction.

If it should be desirable to have the shaft It made adjustable, this may be accomplished as shown in Fig. '7 where the shaft hole or bearing 35 is provided in a small plate 23, said shaft bearing being drilled all the Way through. Said plate 23 also has two slits t l through which a machine screw 25 fits for making possible the adjustment of plate 23 on side wall it! by means of the tightening screw 25 when the shaft hole 35 is at a desired level. Reie ring now to Fig. 2, shaft ii is provided for the purpose of anchoring the lower end of the tension spring 52. This shaft ll mounted like the shaft 33.

In Fig. i is shown the soft resilient buffer stop ich projects from the under side of the top R for e purpose of deadening the rebound noise whei a depressed her 'i is released and springs back: into its elevated position. Buffer stop 3 is secured to the top H by gluing or cementing. It may also be riveted in position if desired.

When the completely assembled attachment with the casing is secured to the mandolin, as seen from 5, the bottom wall ii! may be de- :ached from the rest of the casing. This carries with it the side wall it and portion l as part thereof. In the embodiment here shown, the part commonly known as the finger board of a mand" in has been removed, and portion 4 is screwed the place of said fing r board. The remaining parts of the casing are then set in place and are secured through bottom wall l8, as in the assembly shown in Fig. 3.. An extension 6, which may be a continuation plate of the same material as that forming the casing portion i, is screwed in place with said extension 6 terminating at the rim opening of the man-- dolin sound hole Ell as shown in Fig. 1.

This extension 6 may carry spaced letters E, D, G numbered E l for indicating the proper tuned pitch. of the musical strings. A further purpose of these leters S4 is to make known to the performer which string he is to vibrate to correspond to musical melody notations 32 on an instruction sheet, shown in Fig. 9.

The mando in may be rested in the lap of the player when in seated position with fingers of the leit hand located above the lever bars l and the right hand supported on the sound board of the mandolin adjacent opening the finge s of said right holding a conventional 1 rating instrument, such as a pick (not shown), over adjacent the strings This handling of the mandolin is that usually employed by players of this type of instrument in the well understood -ranner. in Fig. 9, the indicia 32 on the top line of the scale informs the player which strings he is to vibrate by means of the pick and which is indicated by a letter such as E, A, 1'), G shown at {it in Fig. 1. The numeral in said Fig. 9 between letters indicates which lever bars I are to be depressed. The numerals 1 to 6", inclusive, corresponding to those indicated at t in Fig. much for the musical production into bars as indicated in the upper row of letters and numerals in Fig. 9. The lower set numerals indicates the musical timing intervals during which the musical connotation directly above is to continue. Numeral 1 indicated at designates a second or beat; 2,

o it

two seconds or beats; 3, three seconds or beats, etc.; a half second or beat, and 1, a quarter second or beat, etc. Thus by producing the musical sounds in bars as designated by indicia 32 and timing said musical intervals as designated at 33, a pre-determined musical melody in proper form is produced. The particular melody which will be produced by playing the connotation shown in Fig. 9 on the mandolin with the attachment shown in Fig. l is merely a portion of an exercise for developing skill in playing the instrument.

If a greater range of tonal scales is desired on .ie mandolin, such range may be provided by adding more musical strings tuned to higher or lower pitches. These additional strings must be arranged on the mandolin. so that they too pass under finger plate lever bars '6 as shown in Fig. 1. In Figs. 1 and 2, on bars '5, are shown the encircled numerals from 1. to 6, inclusive. The numerals indicate where the performer should place his finger tips when playing in accordance with the fingering notations of the instruction sheet shown in Fig. 9. Thus these numorals serve the purpose of instructing the performer the proper bar l which he is to press.

The free ends of bars 7 are preferably rounded so that more room is provided to accommodate the width of the finger tips of the performer.

Changes in the precise embodiment of inven tion illustrated and described may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A finger playing attachment for a multistring musical instrument comprising a casing, a plurality of lever bars fulcrumed to extend from the casing, a tension spring anchored to said casing and connecting with. each lever bar adja cent to the fulcrum, a resilient strip carried by each lever adapted to contact and simultaneously shorten the effective length of all the instrument strings on depression of a bar, said strips being located in non-uniform spaced relation with respect to each other.

2. The attachment defined in claim 1, having a silencing and cushioning buffer stop interposed between said bars and the casing.

3. The attachment defined in claim 1, having adjustable means on the casing for varying the position of the fulcrum of the lever bars.

4. In combination with a musical instrument having sound producing strings adapted to be shortened for varying the pitch thereof, a finger playing attachment of the character described comprising a plurality of movable lever bars each carrying a resilient strip located to contact and simultaneously shorten the effective length of the string on movement of each bar, said strip being located in non-uniform spaced relation with respect to each other corresponding to variations of the length of the string for giving successive half tones of the musical scale, spring means cooperating with each of the bars normally acting to retain said bars in an inoperative position, and a silencing and cushioning buffer stop supported in the path of movement of said lever bars for contacting same on the side thereof oposite said strips.

JONAS J. RICHMAN. 

